Unfortunate Souls
by TurtleFriedRice
Summary: An alternate twist on the ending of a well known tale, in the style of Zosan/Sanzo. Prompt style multi chap.
1. Chapter 1

Zoro turned his head, a grin spreading across his features as he noticed the lone silhouette of a merman appeared at the opening to his cavern. He knew this moment would come, he had to just be patient. It wasn't like he hadn't been watching through his magic orb at all the things happening the last few days.

Even so, he couldn't help feeling a little bad for the devastated expression on the blond mermaid's face as he swam in closer, his posture tense and arms folded across his chest. His heart was broken no doubt, unable to successfully make his part of the bargain, that his so called 'true love' could kiss him before the moon rise, work. There was also the faintest hint of surprise at the fact that he wasn't sea foam like Zoro had warned.

Be it as it may, he could only swim before the rock chair the fishman Zoro was sprawled out on, unable to truly vocalize his anger and confusion due to their contract. His voice had been taken from him for reasons unknown, but he had a feeling it was the way he'd harassed the sea witch, erm wizard, on their first meeting, calling him a marimo.

Said marimo sat up in his seat, shifting his legs to the front and continuing to shine his shark teeth in the pale light of the water. He loved winning this, mostly 'cause that bastard had been so smug.

"Plan didn't work out the way you wanted it to, did it?" He asked casually, forcing his smile away to at least try and take this business transaction seriously. "She dumped your ass the moment she found out you were a fish, right?"

Sanji lifted his chin, sending the bastard a glare before raising his hand and giving him the finger. He couldn't talk, even if he opened his mouth to try. He just simply closed it and jerked his head away again in frustration. He didn't remember this humiliation being a part of the end deal.

"And now you're wondering why you are still here and not sea foam at the surface?" Zoro ventured a guess to his thoughts.

When Sanji didn't make much of a protest to change his guess, only tensing at the insanity of it being correct, the Marimo had his answer. He huffed before lifting himself out of his chair and walking on the rocky bottom of the cave toward his newest victim.

"The rumor's you heard about me, they were that bad, weren't they?" He snorted. "I don't turn people into sea foam. Not cause' I don't want to either, it's just not how I work."

Nor how he was taught either, from his previous master. After all, being a sea witch was not normally the profession of a fish man. In fact, fish men weren't even frequent in the ocean so close to the mermaid kingdom. It was highly unusual, yet for some reason the born prince of mermaid kingdom felt it was safe enough to make a deal with him. Really now, who was asking for bad things to happen?

Even so, he looked away, not feeling the slightest content at the hurt that came across Sanji's face. No doubt he was humiliated enough by failing to court the human female he thought his soul mate, he didn't appreciate the salt Zoro was rubbing into the wound. He would much rather get on with turning him into something that would take his conscious mind about the previous rejection away.

Zoro scratched absentmindedly at the back of his head.

"So you'll just have to stick around I guess, pay your dues that way."

Sanji reached out, grabbing the fish man by his shoulder to forcefully get the marimo to look at him, ignoring his hiss because this was the only way he could get his attention without his fucking voice. Which was his next question. He gestured to his throat, watching as Zoro reached for something in his possession, a pocket on his unusual wear to reveal their golden contract Sanji had signed in blood.

"Unfortunately for you, like the contract stated..." He unrolled it, turning so that the text was readable by Sanji. "The voice is mine until the spell is lifted, which would now be when your debt is fulfilled. Got it?"

The blond mermaid took a moment to read it over once more before shoving Zoro's hand and the contract away. Then he gestured to just breaking it, surely the magic man could, but it just made Zoro avert his eyes, clearing his throat.

"About that... I never really got to learn how to break contracts, so I've always set them up kind of this way... OI!"

Sanji's blue tail fin had rounded, smacking him clear against his head. His lips were moving silently in his growing anger as he went in for another hit, Zoro covering his head with his arm that time. This was not what he signed up for, dammit!

Zoro finally jerked out, latching his hand on the fin and yanking the blonde forward, scowling at him.

"Oi, listen here you curly asshole! I didn't have to do shit for you. I'm letting you live, you don't get to decide your punishment for not holding up your part of the deal!"

Their faces were a bit closer now as Sanji had been pulled forward, his face softening slightly at the fact that yes, perhaps he did get lucky not becoming foam like Zoro had said he would at first... He pushed away from the fish man, his face lowering. Fine, if he had to work and make it back up to Zoro, he was ready to be put to work.

Zoro was still rubbing at his head, glancing over at the blond, waiting for his sentence patiently. Truth was, Zoro hadn't planned this far. No one ever usually didn't hold their end of the deal so he never had to deal with giving anyone work to pay it off. He sighed.

"So, shit Prince," He began. "What can you do?"

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**Author's Note: This was actually really fun to write and I think I might take prompts to string it along cause I kind of like it. XD so does myladyday (the beta reader yada yada). So yeah, Hope you enjoyed, as always reviews/comments welcome! Thanks so much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Sanji stared down at the stone bed. This is what his life was coming to. Sure, he'd been okay up to this point, but dammit he was having the worse day of his life. Couldn't he at least be allowed to be snobby for once about this? He sighed, looking back around at the room he was in. The sea witch was clever hiding away in a cavern looking nothing more than a Neanderthal, as his real home was located in the back.

Besides the front, where he'd seen that bastard sit on his throne before of his damn giant pearl orb thing, which he guessed was how he had spied on him, and through the rest of the tunnel there was a second opening that lead to something impressive. It was a wooden ship, from the surface people no doubt, that now found it's home on the ocean floor. It was covered in all their sea goodness, but the way it lay against the small mountain, right at the opening to the cave was a bit uncanny. Had Zoro moved it there himself? He'd heard that fishmen were strong but still.

It was mostly empty though and inside its hull was one large room that was very open and quiet. Besides the bed he knew had to be Zoro's, which was silly because he really just dragged a rock in here to sleep on, there was a table and chairs in the center. It usually wouldn't be so surprising in an abandoned ship to find that since humans used them, or in someone's home, but he couldn't help but wonder.

Zoro actually needed space to sit and chat with others? Sea witches actually had friends? A fishman one no less? There was no doubt in his mind he'd probably get the forced pleasure to meet whoever he sat and met with but still having already experienced the Marimo's idiotic fishman socialization skills he didn't have high hopes.

To the far end of the opposite wall though was the most intriguing part of the whole wooden creepy place, a kitchen. It baffled him to find something so modern both above sea and in most places in mermaid kingdom here, he'd just assumed from what he heard about fishmen that they were savage and didn't use such necessities, having always been described in children's stories that way. But then again as a prince to a kingdom that didn't particularly like them, he supposed he could have been brain washed by bias. That and just because it was located here did not mean that Zoro used it.

Still it was the area that gave him hope. He swam up and over to it, past the remainder of a wall that used to split the two rooms, automatically pulled toward it. Sanji loved to cook. He didn't get to do it often though, considering his whole life was wrapped around becoming the perfect prince and later, hopefully, should something happen to any of his older brothers, become king. Which was probably easily one of the very reasons he wanted to escape to the world above and be with her…

Damn, his heart ached just thinking about her, the human who had bewitched him and broken his heart. It made him sigh silently, a few bubbles escaping his mouth as he sunk down, his hand lightly brushing over top of a prep counter. The wound was still so fresh and everything reminded him of her, since everything here could also be found up there. Because of course he had to be spoiled with the human luxuries of a fabricated bed and cooked food.

He trailed his finger over a strange design carved into the countertop. Ah, cooked food, that was magnificent, nothing like they had down here. He'd loved to one day cook like that, or hell, cook at all. Earlier, after learning of his new home here working for Zoro, it was the first thing that had come to mind when the witch had asked him what he could do. Unfortunately it wasn't the easiest of things to explain to him without his voice. The stupid fishman had thought he was choking or something and spazzed out.

Idiot. Which brought him to his next important thought. If he was going to stay here, obviously unable to go home unless he wanted everyone to find out he gave his soul to a sea witch to do as he pleased, where would he sleep? There was only one stone bed for someone to lie on, the rest just wooden floor. Surely that asshole didn't expect that he would share such a close space after all the shit he caused him! Or fuck, even if he hadn't, he wouldn't dare be caught so close!

He'd be growling if he had a voice, the way his face scowled. Yes, this was the biggest problem right now and before they even started getting ready for sleep, which with little light left in the ocean they'd be needing to, it needed to be fixed. The blond mermaid released his grasp on the counter and swam toward the original cave path which served as the hallway to the front.

Zoro however was indifferent about his new guest. After some arguing because apparently mermaid boy thought he was an idiot for not understanding his crappy sign language, he'd swam off and had some time alone, back the way he was used to. The life of a sea witch wasn't meant to be social, beings with magic throughout time had always been out casted. And Zoro had more than just one reason he was definitely not recommended to be around.

Still he had a job, though it consisted of yawning and watching the orb most of the day, trying to make something to eat other times, feeding the stupid eels who he could never really teach properly how to fetch him desperate clients (no doubt the work of 'don't talk to strange eel' classes in public schools). But that was probably for the better. Sure it meant he didn't get any business, but Zoro didn't mind that, because it meant more people were happy with the way their lives were, they didn't need to seek out evil in hopes for a better life. Honestly, Zoro preferred that then having to trick them into stuff.

Unfortunately though it wasn't always like that, obvious by his new roommate. He didn't even know what he should be doing about this. One part of him felt as though he should be hospitable, showing him around and explaining how things worked. The other part was saying fuck that, he was annoying and this is what he got for signing a contract with him, after all he could just tell the way he was struggling to hide his royal blood and cringe at the very sight of Zoro like he really wanted to. He honestly wouldn't be the first.

It made him scowl annoyed as he swam out and over the cavern, grabbing a fist full of seaweed he'd weaved together once upon a time to cover the front of his cave like a drape, much like a closed sign, and slid on inside. He fiddled with his wrist next as his feet met the stone floor and he glanced at his webbed fingers, an old habit he never really noticed. He rolled his hand then, releasing it and watching as the small crystals imbedded in the walls that were barely noticeable in the day light began to illuminate.

It made Sanji hesitate half way down the path, a shiver running down his spine as he glanced around, the dark cave lightening up in a light blue and green light. Jeez, this place was fucking weird. He approached one of the crystals in the wall, reaching out his finger to touch it when a voice startled him.

"I wouldn't touch that." Zoro explained, staring at him boredly from where he stood in the path. It was large enough thankfully for at least a few feet in between them.

Sanji rolled his eyes, not even going to try a retort as he already knew how that would work out. Instead he just back finned himself away and dramatically, letting his head roll to the side, surged himself forward and back towards the abandoned ship. Zoro just chuckled to himself, following after him. Fucking diva, who knew what was on his mind?

"Alright blondie, so let's get this straight while we're both back here." Zoro started, stepping onto the planks and walking over towards his bed. "This is the only tour you'll get, so listen. That's the kitchen but you probably shouldn't go back there. There's the bed, some tables and chairs..."

Sanji raised a brow. Really? They were going to go over every little object? And here they were inside the ship and this they breathed is called water. Look over there, it's a rock. Or wait no it's not, ew, a slug.

Zoro glared at him, obviously having noticed his lack of interest, even though he couldn't really get a response.

"And you're not even fucking listening. Great, whatever. Just go to sleep, stupid prince." The fishman growled lowly to himself, taking off his sandals.

When he glanced back over he was surprised at what he saw. Sanji was laying across the stone bed, but he looked highly uncomfortable and pissed, as if challenging Zoro to walk over and move his tail. His features tensed as the Marimo approached, feeling as he looked down the length of his body and tail. He let out a long sigh.

"Of course. What did I expect? Fine, take the bed, I don't need it anyway." Zoro rolled his eyes, slightly disappointed, but not in the mood to argue over his own bed in his own home.

Instead he just slightly moved his wrist and the small shards, which were even embedded here in the abandoned ship, went black as he moved back through to his cave. He could sleep on his stone chair, that was fine. Unlike a certain someone else, he didn't have preferences.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yup. Continued it. XD didn't know which direction to go but yeah. so if anyonewantstoprompt but anyway. This was beta'd by the super cool and awesome Aerle! Thank you so much QuQ . Hope everyone enjoys and it flows well with the first chapter since that came out of no where. XD **


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